Finger-key for type-writing and similar machines.



' E. D. GONKLIN. FINGER KEY FOB TYPE WRITING AND SIMILAR MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEP'LBQ, 1909.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

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. UNITED sTAr s ENT orritnaj 31mm 1). ooNxLIN, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR To THE HIT HEAE & none column, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A coRroRA'rIoNor NEW JERSEY.

I To all whom it may concern:

} FINGER-KEY FOR TYPE-WRITING AND SIMILAR MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

Application filed September 29, 1909. Serial No. 520,174. v

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. CoNkmN, of Newark, in thecounty of Essex, in the State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fin er-Keys for Ty'pe-Writin and Similar achines, .of w ich the to lowing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain im rovements in finger keys and the method 0 making the same and refers more particularly't-o the keys for typewriting machines and similar key board instruments. These keys usually constitute a separate article of manufacture from the levers or other parts to which they are attached and involve the use of suitable characters such as capital and small letters, numerals and other symbols which are used in this class of printing and other key board machines. It is desirable toplace these characters upon the keys in such manner that they may be readily visible and at the same time protected from obliteration in the use of such keys, and for this purpose they are preferably printed on disks of paper or other suitable material and protected by a ,coating or layer of some inexpepisive transparent substance such as cellu- The primary object is to produce a comparatively inexpensive non-metallic key in which the character disk with the transparent coating or layer thereon is permanently incorporated.

Another object is to permanently incorporate in the same key a suitable attaching element by which'it may be fastened to one of the operating members, such as the pluna 'Which is to be inserted therein,- leaving a ger or key lever of a ty ewritin machine.

The process, briefly describe consists in pressing a bod of suitable plastic material into the form esired for the key and simultaneously forming therein a recess. of substantially the same area as the character disk marginal flange surrounding the recess then placing such disk in the recess and pressing the marginal flange over and upon the marginal edges of the disk for retaining the disk in lace. 7 other part of the process consists in embedding a-n-attaching element in the main body while under pressure.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is-a sectional taching element.

view of a pair of dies or molds in operative position for pressing the main body of the key'into form for receiving the disk, the

attaching element being shown as embedded in said body under the pressure of the dies. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the key as it is taken from the mold shown in Fig; 1, showing the character disk as placed in the recess. Fig. 3 is a sectional view ofthe key and disk,-shown in Fig. 2, together with the molds for pressing or crimping the marginal flange of the main body over and upon the spectively,'a side elevation and a top plan of the completed key.

In carryin out the objects stated, a suitable body 0 non-metallic plastic material,

such as rubber, fiber or some-less expensive composition material, in which tar or pitch and a suitable bond of asbestos or equivalent edges of the disk. -Figs. 4 and 5 are, re-

material constitute the essential ingredients, 7

is placed between suitable dies or molds 1 and '2, capable of pressing the plastic material to the desired contour for the main body, as -3, of the key and at the same time forming one sidemf said body with a recess 4l and marginal flange When an attaching element, such as a stud on spindle -6- is to be fastened to the main body of the key, it is supported in a socket 7- c'entrallyin the lower die 1-, in such manner that one end having a head 8 is allowed to protrude a short distance beyond the end of the die 1--,

suflicient to allow the plastic body --3 mounted thereon to be pressed around the head 8 and adjacent portion of the shank or stud 6, so as to embed the protruding portion of said attaching element 6 m the plastic body 3-. The body of'plastic material is inclosed by an upper die having an ofi-set portion, so that after applying pressure to said upper die, the head 8 Wlll be embedded in the material and the up er face of the material will be formed wit a recess by the ofif-set portion of the upper die. The upper die is then removed. It is evident, however, that other forms of attaching elements may have portions thereof similarly embedded in said body and therefore the invention is not limrecess 4; therein, the dies are separated and the key with the attaching element A paper or equivalent disk 9-, u on i which is printed the desired letter or ot er character, is rovided with a coating or a E layer 10- g transparent celluloid cr similar flexible material and is fitted or placed within the recess 4 so as to rest against the base thereof, whereupon the entire assemblage, as shown in Fig. 2, is placed in and upon the same or a similar die 1-, while the main body 3 is still in a pliable condition and is again operated upon by a die -2'- of such construction as to press or overturn the flange u on the marginal edges of the character isk or plate to hold the latter in operative osition 5 upon the main body --3- and wit in the plane of the outer end thereof.

' The overturned'edge of the flange .5, 5 forms a marginal retaining bead 11, as 1 best seen in Fig. 3, said head serving to lap upon a narrow portion of the character disk, so as to leave the greater portion of the cenj ter thereof exposed to View which enables the character on the paper disk 9- to be readily seen through the transparent coating or layer -10 the latter serving to protect the printed matter on the disk -9, against obliteration. X

therein is withdrawn from the lower die I What I claim is: The herein described method of manufacturing finger keys for typewriting and other i machlnes consisting in mounting a headed key attachin element in a lower supporting i die so that t e head of the element will be said material and the up er face of said ma- I terial will be formed with a recess by the offset portion of the upper die; then removing said upper die, then placing a character bearing disk in said recess, then mounting a second upper die upolr the material, and

; then applying pressureto said second u per die whereby the wall of said recess wil be forced over the marginal portion of said disk to connect it to said material and further provide the upper face of the material with a bead.

lln witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of September 1909.

EDWARD D. CONKLIN.

Witnesses:

WM. A. Jones, M, H Saunas.

having an ofiset por- 

